1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an athletic numerical indicator display which has numerous advantages, including easy portability, high visibility, increased safety and a high degree of impact resistance. More particularly, it is concerned with an athletic numerical indicator display, in the nature of a fottbll down marker, which has a series of shiftable numeral panels which, when a corresponding shift lever is engaged, selectively move into position behind the transparent face of the body of the display. The sequentially shifted panels move so as to overlie the previously displayed numeral panel to thereby present the desired numeral in position behind the transparent face.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A variety of athletic events commonly require officials, scorers or the like to display numerals to indicate the appropriate period, score, or number of fouls involved in the athletic event. For example, in football games, it is commonly the practice to indicate the down currently in play by a set of ring mounted panels carried by a pole which also indicates the location of the line of scrimmage. In track and field competition, it is often desirable to digitally display the height of the last jump or vault, or the distance travelled by a throwing implement such as a discus or javelin. In basketball, when an individual commits a personal foul, it is commonly the practice to display to the contestants, coaches and spectators the number of fouls that contestant has committed.
In all of the foregoing events, various devices for displaying the appropriate numeral have been used in the past. For example, the conventional football down marker has a series of numerals displayed on panels which are "flipped over" to display the down in play. In basketball, lighted towers or hand-held paddles are used to display the number of fouls. In track and field events, a book with a group of ring mounted flip-over cards bearing the correct numeral are used by the scorers to display the height or distance for that competitor.
More recently, a numerical display has been developed in France which uses selector levers to provide a digital display for athletic events. This display has provided a compact and self-contained means of displaying desired numerals, with the added advantage that it can be operated with one hand. It conventionally employs a series of numeral panels within a body which panels are moved into position by a selector lever. While this display has been generally acceptable for light duty use, it is difficult and time consuming to construct because of the number of separate parts which require hand assembly. Because of the number of parts and the limited reinforcing and panel guiding structure in this known display, it has been particularly susceptible to damage arising from impact with a player or from being dropped on a hard surface. Finally, the digital display device previously in use has lacked sufficient structure to ensure that each of the numeral panels remains in proper alignment during use.